Return Back

Oct 29, 2021

Miami-Dade County’s Unemployment Rate Decreases by 7% Compared to Last Year

Table of Contents

    Key Takeaways

    • The September 2021 unemployment rate improved compared to last year and the previous month.
      • This September’s unemployment report shows that the unemployment rate decreased by 7% compared to September of 2020.
      • The unemployment rate decreased by 1.1%, from 6.7% in August 2021 to 5.6% in September 2021.
      • Nonagricultural payroll jobs increased by 61,400 from September 2020 to September 2021; a 5.6% increase.
      • There was an increase of 2,700 nonagricultural payroll jobs, a 0.2% increase from August 2021 to September 2021.
      • When analyzing the numbers by sector, most sectors experienced an increase in the number of jobs compared to last year.

    Unemployment Rate in Miami-Dade County (not seasonally adjusted)

    As Miami-Dade County continues recovering from COVID-19, unemployment rates have decreased in the last few months. This September’s unemployment report shows that the unemployment rate decreased by 7% compared to September of 2020. The unemployment rate decreased by 1.1%, from 6.7% in August 2021 to 5.6% in September 2021.

    Note: The Miami metro area labor force statistics use a different measurement method than all other counties in Florida. The information for the monthly employment and unemployment estimates come from Current Population Survey (CPS). There are only seven large areas across the nation which uses this labor force statistics model. The graph compares the unemployment rate for Miami-Dade County with that of the United States since September of 2020.

    Non-agricultural Payroll Jobs (not seasonally adjusted) – Miami-Dade County

    • Nonagricultural payroll jobs increased by 61,400 from September 2020 to September 2021; a 5.6% increase.
    • Miami’s increase was the third largest in Florida after the Orlando and Tampa regions.
    • There was an increase of 2,700 nonagricultural payroll jobs, a 0.2% increase from August 2021 to September 2021.
    • When analyzing the numbers by sector, most sectors experienced an increase in the number of jobs compared to last year.

    The table below shows that most industries experienced an increase in the number of jobs compared to last year. The industries with the largest gains from August of 2021 include manufacturing and construction, as well as retail trade and education and health services. Industries experiencing the largest gains since September of 2020 include leisure and hospitality and professional and business services. This is to be expected as the hospitality industry lost the largest numbers of jobs at the beginning of the pandemic. Transportation, warehousing and utilities and financial services show a decrease in jobs from August to September of 2021.  Construction and total government show a decrease in jobs from September 2020 to September of 2021.

    Nonagricultural Employment

    MIAMI-MIAMI BEACH-KENDALL MD (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

     

      August 2021 to September 2021 change September 2020 to September 2021 change
    Industry Level Percent Level Percent
    Leisure and Hospitality 100 0.1% 24,000 25.6%
    Professional and Business Services 0 0% 17,600 10.2%
    Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities -1,400 -1.7% 6,500 8.6%
    Financial Activities -1,000 -1.2% 4,600 5.8%
    Other Services 400 0.8% 4,300 9.9%
    Retail Trade 1,700 1.3% 3,800 2.9%
    Education and Health Services 1,800 1.0% 1,400 0.8%
    Manufacturing 1,200 3.0% 900 2.2%
    Wholesale Trade -600 -0.9% 500 0.7%
    Information -100 -0.5% 200 1.1%
    Total Government -300 -0.2% -600 -0.4%
    Construction 900 1.8% -1,800 -3.4%

    All Counties shown below have improved unemployment rates compared to September of 2020, with Palm Beach County showing the lowest rate.

     

     

    September 2021
    Unemployment Rate
    (Not Seasonally Adjusted)
    September 2020 to

    September 2021
    Unemployment Rate Change (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

    Miami-Dade County 5.6% -7%
    Broward County 4.4% -3.3%
    Palm Beach County 4.1% -2.5%
    Florida 4.3% -3%
    United States 4.6% -3.1%

     

    Unemployment Rate Decreases in Miami-Dade County (seasonally adjusted) 

    Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates, which take seasonal fluctuations into consideration, show a downward trend in unemployment rates. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Miami-Dade County is 6.3% for September of 2021, which is 5.9% lower than in September of 2020. This September’s unemployment rate is 0.4% lower than the previous month.

    From the data and analysis above, we continued to observe lower unemployment rates, which signals economic recovery. The community needs to remain focused on job-retention projects in targeted industries, as well as all sectors. These industries have been identified as the Miami-Dade County industries most able to create additional well-paying job opportunities, leading to an improved quality of life for Miami-Dade County residents. The Miami-Dade Beacon Council continues to aggressively work on attracting new companies to our community and work on the expansion and retention of existing business. For more information, visit www.beaconcouncil.com.

    Sources

    The job creation numbers are derived from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics Program (CES), and only account for non-farm payroll jobs. However, the unemployment rates are derived from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program (LAUS), which includes farm payroll jobs as well as self-employed workers.

    In addition, the federal government typically conducts interviews in sample households to determine the unemployment rate. Miami-Dade County is one of six metropolitan areas in the United States that uses a different method solely based on a statistical model derived from several data sets.

     

     

     

     

    shaping our future

    Stay Up-to-Date on Miami-Dade’s Economic Progress

    South Florida Economic Development Organizations Visit New York City in Joint Effort to Strengthen Business Connections and Shared Economic Ties

    Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties’ economic development leaders spotlight current connectivity and new cross-market opportunities between NYC and South Florida ‘Mega Region’ SOUTH FLORIDA (December 2, 2025) – The Business Development Board of Palm Beach...

    Miami-Dade Beacon Council Announces 2025-2026 Board Of Directors, New Board Chair, And Chair-Elect

    Board’s Focus Will Usher in New Ways for Attracting Investments and Developing Talent Across the Region MIAMI, FL – October 28, 2025 – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official public-private economic development partnership, today announced the 2025-2026...

    Miami-Dade Beacon Council And Foundation Celebrate Return Of Beacon Awards, Honoring Everyday Leaders Powering Miami’s Growth

    Signature Awards Program Held on Oct . 22 , Presented 1 1 Awards, Recognizing Excellence Across Sectors, Small Business, One2Watch, Jay Malina Leadership Award, and New Founders’ Award MIAMI, FL – October 23, 2025 – The Beacon Council Foundation together with the...

    Beacon Council Foundation Names 2025 Beacon Awards Finalists

    Six industry winners, along with the One2Watch and the Small Business awards, to be announced live on Oct. 22 MIAMI, FL (September 16, 2025) – The Beacon Foundation together with the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official public-private economic development...

    Miami-Dade Beacon Council and Opportunity Miami Win Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council

    MIAMI, FL (August 26, 2025) – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official public-private economic development partnership, is proud to announce that together withOpportunity Miami, a Beacon Council Foundation-driven platform that helps catalyze the Miami of...

    The 2025 Beacon Awards To Honor Visionary Leaders Powering Greater Miami’s Economic Future

    Honorees include Alex Villoch, Mas Family, and Dr. Eduardo Padron MIAMI, FL (July 30, 2025) – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council today announced this year’s distinguished honorees for the upcoming Beacon Awards, the organization’s signature recognition program returning...